This invention relates principally to a high temperature oven, furnace or kiln, and more particularly to a unique reversible jamb block for the sides of a door for a high temperature oven, furnace or kiln.
When a high temperature oven, furnace or kiln is constructed, the device will typically incorporate one or more doors to allow access to various areas within the body of the oven, furnace or kiln. In most cases, the door will be constructed of steel or some other rigid and temperature resistant metal, and may have refractory material or some other high temperature insulation material attached to or surrounding the metal to provide additional heat resistance. Such doors fit into specially configured door frames designed to receive the doors and minimize the amount of heat that may escape between the door and the door frame.
However, high temperature oven, furnace or kiln doors and door frames are exposed to very harsh environmental conditions. They must retain integrity at very high temperatures while in the presence of various gases that may include highly volatile and caustic chemical such as, for example, oxygen, carbon and sulfur compounds, and various forms and combinations of grit. In addition, such doors are typically very heavy and unwieldy, and it is therefore not uncommon for the operation of the doors to impart substantial vibration, shock and impact loads on the doors and the door frames. As a result, the doors and door frames degrade and must be replaced on a regular basis. It is desirable, therefore, that the door frames be built to withstand such abuses while providing a reasonable cycle lifetime.
One common component of such door frames is a replaceable door jamb block. These replaceable jamb blocks are vertical pillars positioned on each side of the door frame against which the edges of the door rests when closed. Traditionally, the doors and door frames are constructed of heavy materials such as steels and ceramics, and are configured such that the door rests at an angle against the door frame with the upper end of the door leaning inward towards the body of the oven, furnace or kiln. The traditional replaceable jamb blocks, in turn, comprise an outward directed face that is sloped to receive the edges of the door in a flush manner. Anchor bolts are used to secure the jamb blocks to the side of the opening in the doorway. The traditional replaceable jamb blocks are, therefore, trapezoidal in shape.
The outside faces of the traditional jamb blocks wear out due to several factors. Impact damage from service equipment, door movement abrasions, and door impact. The movement of the door is two fold. First, the door moves vertically against the doorway and abrades the jamb block surfaces. Second, the door moves in and out against the doorway and impacts the jamb block surfaces. Often, the door is suspended and atop the jamb blocks and acts as a heavy and abrasive pendulum during the operation of the kiln.
In contrast, the inside faces of the jamb blocks are protected from the conditions that damage the front faces, because the inside faces are traditionally encased in and protected by the refractory walls of the kiln. In addition, expansion material, normally a high temperature crushable block refractory, is often used to separate the kiln's inside refractory wall from the inside face of the jamb blocks. This allows the kiln's refractory walls to expand toward the jamb blocks without damage to the inner face of the jamb blocks.
Nonetheless, once the front faces of traditional jamb blocks degrade to an unacceptable level, the blocks must be replaced. It is desirable, therefore, to devise a jamb block that has a longer service life than traditional configurations.
As will become evident in this disclosure, the present invention provides benefits over the existing art.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.